33 Yrs Old, 3 C/S, 5 Stone Weightloss - Great Britain

I thought it might be helpful to have some long range results information. The scar is pretty much invisible (in amongst my stretch marks!) and silver. The only places it shows are the circle around my belly button (becuase it's circular rather than the verticals lines of my stretch marks) and at the very top, where I ended up with keloid scarring for about 2 inches. I think this area where I kept swelling for a long time simply had a harder time healing. It doesn't bother me at all.

I've gained a little weight (about 10 lbs) and it is clear that I carry weight differently now - more on my upper body. I used to always carry it on my lower belly and that doesn't happen now. I tend to look bulkier around chest height and across my upper arms. This could be a proportion trick rather than actually carrying more fat there, as my lower body doesn't seem to grow.

I do have some water retention issues ever since. I think some of my lymphatic system was damaged. I believe I discussed this with my surgeon (I haven't seen him since my year out check up) and it is not uncommon. I need to be mindful of staying hydrated and active or I get puffy hands and feet. I never had this before surgery. I am also gluten intolerant, and I used to cheat before the surgery. Now I can literally see the swelling in my digestive system as it happens. Nowhere to hide!

I realised I never followed up on the new support garment - it arrived and it is great for preventing a waist band rubbing on my skin, but honestly I haven't worn a binder at all apart from to stop my jeans poking my scar since day 15. My recovery has been significantly easier without it. I have been less active without it, because I feel less 'secure' in the muscle repair, but the improved circulation has definitely outweighed that inconvenience.

If I walk a long way (over half a mile) i will swell later that day. A hard, swollen area just below my bra is the most uncomfortable and the incision there stings when this happens, but apart from that I just swell at 5pm every day. Regardless of what else I have or haven't done. Mystery. I've found some relief by coconut oiling the incision and then using Young Living's Panaway oil in a carrier of apricot oil. All the muscle stiffness dissolves within about 30-45 seconds and the pain relief lasts for a couple of hours. With that, I haven't needed any other pain relief at all since about day 14, and not regularly since day 9 or so. Astonishing given how I felt the first week!!